Straight razor guard



July 22, 1969 A. S. MONDIELLQ 3,456,340

STRAIGHT RAZOR GUARD Filed May 25. 1966 INVENT OR Anlhany Mana'iel/a A NEYS United States Patent 3,456,340 STRAIGHT RAZOR GUARD Anthony S. Mondiello, 3114 Shield Lane, Bowie, Md. 20715 Filed May 25, 1966, Ser. No. 552,767 Int. Cl. B26b 21/08 US. Cl. 3030 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for use with a straight razor when same is used as a hairdressing instrument, the device serving to properly position the razor blade in accordance with the desired cutting action which it is desired to achieve.

The present invention relates to a guard which preferably is removably attachable to the blade of a straight razor and whose purpose is to facilitate the proper angular positioning of the razor blade relative to particular cutting functions thereof.

In the field of hairdressing, particularly womens hairdressing, it is quite common to employ a straight razor for cutting hair. A hair cut carried out in this manner is sometimes referred to as a razor cut.

One aspect of hairdressing, through use of a straight razor involves an actual cutting off or shortening of the hair length analogously to the action of a pair of scissors. In this instance, the razor blade is held at about 30 degrees to the hair longitudinal axis and the blade slices across said axis thereby actually severing a length of hair In another aspect of hairdressing, however, the razor is not employed to actually shorten or sever the hair as before described; instead, the razor is employed in a manner whereby the individual hairs are thinned or sliced in a longitudinal direction so as to effect an axial thinning thereof. In other words, thinning involves reducing the cross-sectional area of the hairs and not a shortening of the hair length.

In order to effect the aforementioned hair thinning, the hairdresser grips with one hand the free end of a plurality of hairs and gently pulls them into a tense straight line condition, and the razor blade, which is held by the other hand, is slid or scraped downwardly over the surface of the group of hairs at an angle of about 60 degrees to the hair axis. At this angle, the razor blade slices, scrapes, or shaves the surface of the hairs parallelly to the longitudinal axis of the hair and thereby reduces the hair thickness.

In performing the aforementioned thinning of hair by means of a straight razor, the danger is ever present that, instead of being held at the proper angle for thinning, the razor blade will be held at an angle whereby it will cut perpendicularly across the hair axis and thereby completely sever a length of hair. This would create a somewhat nightmarish situation for the hairdresser who would be faced with the problem of explaining the accidental hair amputation to a wrathful female.

The possibility of improperly positioning the razor blade and thereby cutting across the hair axis is a particular problem for the student and the novice hairdressers and, in fact, these persons usually experience a strong inhibition for performing razor cuts because of a lack of confidence in their ability to properly position the razor blade. The experienced hairdresser, on the other hand, may perform an accidental amputation of hair through ordinary inadvertence, this of course being a possibility in any case where the human factor is involved, regardless of the persons experience.

The present invention, therefore, is directed to a guard or guide device which is attachable to the blade of a straight razor and which, in a sense, automatically positions said blade at the proper angle for performing a particular cutting function.

The invention in a preferred embodiment thereof will be described with reference to the attached drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a pictorial or isometric view showing the v guard of this invention aligned in position for receiving the blade of a straight razor;

FIGURE 2 is a side view showing a straight razor and guard being employed with the razor blade in shaving or thinning position relative to the hair line; and,

FIGURE 3 is a side view analogous to FIGURE 2 but showing the razor blade in hair cutting, as distinguished from hair thinning, position.

The present invention is intended for use with any conventional, well-known straight razor which comprises a handle 1 to which is pivotally attached a blade support 2. The blade 3 commonly is detachable relative to support 2 by being slide longitudinally outwardly from the free end of said support.

The guard or guide 4 of this invention advantageously may be molded in the form of a one-piece solid block of synthetic plastic, light metal, rubber, or of other materials. In any event, the guard has formed therein a pair of longitudinal slots 5 and 6 extending the full length of the guard body, and each slot being adapted to snugly receive and hold the razor assembly 2, 3.

The guard 4 comprises a sliding surface 7 which is intended to slide along the hair '8 and thereby automatically position the razor blade 3 relative to the hair 8 while said blade is being moved in the direction of the arrows in FIGURES 2 and 3. It will be seen that surface 7 is slightly convex; this is to provide some degree of flexibility in the positioning of the blade 3- relative to hair 8, the exact positioning of said blade depending upon the individual hairdressers predeliction. In other words, the convexity of surface 7 allows the individual hairdresser to position the guard '4 against the hair 8 within a range of positions. For example, FIGURES 2 and 3 show the guard 4 resting against hair 8 with the leading edge portion 7' of surface 7 resting tangentially against hair 8.

The respective axes of slots 5 and 6 are inclined at 60 degrees and 30 degrees, respectively, to a line 9 which is tangent to the front edge portion 7'. In the positions shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, therefore, the blade 3 is inclined respectively at 60 and 30 degrees to the hair 8, and these angles can be varied up to 20 degrees by pivoting the guard 4 on convex surface 7 counter-clockwise from the positions shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

The FIGURE 2 position of the blade 3 is for elfecting a longitudinal shaving or thinning of a portion 8 from each individual hair 8 while the blade position of FIG- URE 3 is for effecting a transverse severing of portion 8" analagous to clipping of the hair with a pair of scissors.

The guard also includes a toothed edge portion whose teeth 10 extend beyond the cutting edge of blade 3. These teeth 10 serve to shield the blade cutting edge from striking hard objects While also they serve to prevent the blade from slicing into any solid object. A persons hair, on the other hand, passes between the teeth 10 and into contact with the blade cutting edge. In other words, the purpose of teeth 10 is to prevent the blade cutting edge from contacting or cutting any object which cannot pass between the teeth 10.

The guard 4 should preferably be made of a flexibly yieldable material so as to permit said guard to be removably but snugly fitted onto blade 3. The grooves 5 and 6 normally should be smaller in side view than the blade assembly 2, 3 so that insertion of blade assembly 2, 3 into one of the grooves (in the direction of the arrow-'in-FIGURE 1 would fiex the groove walls apart, the flexing force serving to hold the blade assembly in place. Of course, it should be understood that any convenient means could be employed to removably hold the blade assembly in place. For example, either end of guard 4 could be fitted with a snap locking means or the guard could be provided with a set screw means.

' The operation of the guard of this invention is as follows.

A hairdresser slides the guard in place over the blade assembly 2, 3 with the blade assembly slot 5, for example. The hairdresser then grips a group of hairs with one hand and tenses said hairs so as to form a tensed group of hairs. With the other hand, the haidresser grips the razor and, with the guard surface 7 pressed against the flexed hairs, slides the guard 4 in the direction of the arrow in FIGURE 2, thereby longitudinally slicing or shaving hair portion 8' from the main body of hair. The angular position of the blade 3 relative to the hair 8 is, therefore, determined by the guard 4 so that even an inexperienced hairdresser would find it practically im possible to inadvertently position razor 3 at an angle whereby the severing of FIGURE 3 would occur. Of course, the convexity of surface 7 permits the blade 3 to be positioned within a range of positions, this range, however, being within safe limits for assuring that only the slicing of FIGURE 2 occurs.

If, on the other hand, it is in fact desired to effect the severing of FIGURE 3, the hairdresser merely slides blade assembly 2, 3, into slot 6 and proceeds as before expecting that now the blade 3 is in an ideal angular position for slicing across the hair.

It is quite obvious that the guard 4 could be made with only one slot, 5 or 6, and a separate guard provided for each angular slot. In this regard, it is also conceivable to provide individual guards to permit angular blade positions other than the two shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. It is within the scope of the invention, for example, that the surface 7 be part of an adjustable member attached to the main body of guard 4, the blade angle being adjustable through adjustment of the adjustable member. It is also within the scope of the invention that the blade assembly 2, 3, instead of being fixedly held within the slot, be angularly adjustable within an oversize slot wherein the blade assembly could be adjustably positioned against a spring biasing means.

It will be noted that the guard slots are configured so as to include straight portions 11 which snugly conform to the sides of the blade 3, said straight portions terminating in relatively sharp edges 12. The purpose of portions 11 and edges 12 is to prevent the entry and buildup of hair within the respective slots. In addition, portions 11 serve to brace the blade 3 against lateral play or vibration within the slots.

It is also to be noted that surface 7 may be truly flat rather than slightly convex as it is in the preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the drawing. A flat surface 7 would angularly position the guard 4 relative to the hair line without any leeway for the hairdresser to vary said position. This may be preferable in some instances, as when the guard is used by completely inexpen'enced persons who require some practice before they develop a feel which would enable them to progress to a curved-back guard as that shown herein.

Further, the angles of 60 and 30 degrees which are disclosed herein are not intended to be strictly limitative. Experimentation may reveal that other values for the respective slot angles are also suitable or preferable,

The's'cop'e of the invention, therefore, includes various modifications, embodiments, and concepts which would be obvious to one skilled in the art. The herein illustrated and described embodiment is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A straight razor guide means comprising a body member which includes an outer face which is adapted to slidingly rest against a flat hair surface, and wherein said body member is attachable to a straight razor blade by means of a slot means in said member which is adapted to receive a straight razor blade therein, the angle of said slot means being such that said blade is held therein at an angle relative to said outer face, said slot means including a first slot extending from said outer face at an angle which is suitable for thinning hair with said blade, and a second slot parallelly adjacent to the first mentioned one, the second slot extending from said outer face at an angle suitable for transversely cutting off hair with said blade.

2. A straight razor guide means comprising an elongate body member formed with a substantially fiat, outer face, said face including a front and rear edge and being adapted to be rested against a fiat hair surface and slid therealong, said member including a longitudinally extending slot which in side view extends at an angle to said fiat face, said slot being open along a lengthwise edge thereof, said slot being adapted to have a straight razor blade slid longitudinally therein with its cutting edge extending slightly beyond the front edge of said fiat face.

3. The guide means of claim 2, wherein said angle is substantially degrees whereby a blade held in said slot is adapted to perform a thinning action upon hair as it is slid therealong.

4. The guide means of claim 2, wherein said angle is substantially 30 degrees whereby a blade held in said slot is adapted to perform a severing cutting action upon hair.

5. The guide means of claim 2, said outer face being convex to an extent whereby a tangent to the front edge thereof forms an angle of 20 degrees with a tangent to the rear edge thereof whereby the angle of a blade relative to a hair surface may be varied up to 20 degrees through pivoting of said outer face against the hair surface.

6. The guide means of claim 2, said member including two said slots, one being at an angle of 60 degrees to said face and the other at an angle of 30 degrees to said face, the first angle being for the performance of a thinning action and the second angle being for the performance of a'cutting severing action upon hair.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 981,739 1/1911 Barr 3054 1,006,184 10/1911 De Padro 30-55 X 1,405,759 2/1922 Coleman 30-90X 1,446,989 2/1923 Osburn 30--55 1,869,504 8/1932 Priori 3055 3,054,180 9/1962 Gore 3030 MYRON C. KRUSE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 0. 

